Thanks to a war between European brewing companies, it's never been easier to catch a healthy beer buzz. Or get yourself totally sloshed. In November BrewDog, a Scottish microbrewery started three years ago, released a new brand, dubbed Tactical Nuclear Penguin. The beer set a new record by weighing in at a scary 32% alcohol-by-volume, over six times the strength of familiar domestic brands like Budweiser. As explained on a cheeky video on the company's website (warning: the clip contains simulated penguin sex), the brewery was able to attain such a high alcohol content for its product by freezing the beer at a local ice cream factory, at temperatures as low as -6 degrees, for 21 days. Alcohol freezes at lower temperatures than water, and removing water from the solution increased the alcohol concentration.
Jim Watt, one of BrewDog's co-founders, says that some 400 bottles of Tactical Nuclear Penguin are in the process of being shipped to a few stores in California and New York City, including a Whole Foods location; about half of the consumers buying beer from the BrewDog website are from the U.S. Watt's eyes are clearly fixed on the American market. "We're keen to push the envelope," says Jim Watt, one of BrewDog's co-founders, "and challenge people's perceptions of how beer can be enjoyed."

nauty

04-11-2010 7:11 AM

High alcohol doesn't always mean it will taste good.... Arrogant Bastard and Stone IPA are both fairly high in alcohol and are both regarded as great beers in the homebrew community. I finally got around to tasting them a few weeks ago and they were two of the nastiest beers I've ever had. Arrogant Bastard was the equivalent of drinking an ale chased with a shot of Nyquil. Stone IPA was so bitter that I might as well had been sucking on a lemon.

Sam Adams makes a beer called Samuel Adams Utopia. This beer is 27% abv and costs between $150-$200 per bottle. I've never tried one, but I suspect it's pretty over the top. These are more of an investment beer though. You can find them being auctioned off on e-bay as they tend to increase in value over the years.

benjaminp

04-11-2010 12:38 PM

Yeah, my first thought was if I want to drink something that tastes that bad I'll just pour some liquor into a cheap beer. I really can't see the appeal of that beer at all. But I'm not the one marketing it. It will be interesting to see how well it sells.

hco

04-11-2010 3:06 PM

Rich- not doubting your pallette for beer, but arrogant bastard is delicious (even more so their double bastard) and the stone IPA is terriffic as well. Different strokes for different folks I suppose, but those are two phenomenal beers IMO.

HateAndPain

04-11-2010 7:38 PM

Agreed, I love AB it's strong but that's what I like. Haven't tries the stone yet but it sounds like I should give it a go.

jay_g

04-11-2010 9:10 PM

Stone IPA is one of the best IPA's out there. Very appreciated by the HopHeads.....Personally Its on the top of my list with "Pliny the Elder" being # 1.

wake77

04-11-2010 9:21 PM

I just drink the Beast.

jay_g

04-11-2010 10:12 PM

I though freezing and removing water is a for of distilling which would be illegal for beer making

brettw

04-12-2010 7:45 AM

I like the Stone IPA as well. They've got a few others I've picked up lately that are good as well. I tried the double arrogant bastard a little while back and that was a bit strong. It's good for keeping a 22 oz around, though, for when the wifey says, "Just one beer tonight."

nauty

04-12-2010 8:18 AM

Yep, different strokes for different folks!

I've been brewing my own beer off and on for the last 15 years or so, but this past winter I started to really get into it and get serious with the craft. I made the jump from extract brewing to all grain (mashing the grain myself). I made an IPA last fall and it was horribly bitter. It was one of those batches that I felt I screwed up by dry hopping it too long. Fast forward a couple of months later .... I try the Stone IPA and the first thought I had was that it tasted just like my over hopped IPA from last fall.

One of my favorite store bought beers is Broken Halo IPA. To me it has the perfect balance of hop aroma and citrus taste without being overly bitter. I consider myself a hop head, but only in regards to aroma and flavor; the bitterness I'm not crazy about. As I've honed my homebrew skills I have finally started producing some beers that I prefer over anything store bought.

I currently have an IPA on tap that I patterned after Broken Halo. I used the same grain bill as Broken Halo, but I reversed hopped it. Rather than boiling "x" amount of hops at 60 minutes to extract the bitterness, I boiled double the amount of hops but at only 15 minutes. This made for an IPA with enough bitterness for the style, but twice as much hop aroma and hop flavor. I guess that's my issue with Stone IPA, the bitterness over takes the flavor and aroma of the hop.

stephan

04-12-2010 1:19 PM

That should be interesting, I'd at least like to try it.

As for Stone, I am a fan of the regular IPA but if you get a chance to try one of their anniversary brews, take it! My brother bought me their 10th anniversary IPA and it was by far, the best beer I ever had. Incredible!

surfdoggy

04-13-2010 5:59 AM

Some of the high alcohol stuff does taste like cough syrup. Some of it is really good. I like the Oskar Blues "Ten Fiddy" (although it has a disconcerting similarity in appearance and consistency to motor oil); and the Dogfish Head 120.

guido

04-14-2010 1:03 PM

Yummmm... Racer 5 IPA

I've also had and enjoyed Arrogant Bastard, but I do like a big bitter beer on occasion.

In fact it's pretty rare that I come across a beer that I truly do not like. Hmmmm!?!